Can I use my british passport to work in Ireland?

Question

OK..I was born in Canada and hold a Candian passport. My parents were actually both born in England. If I apply for a british/UK passport can I move to the Republic of Ireland and work and live as long as I want? I read somewhere that because they are all part of the EU that anyone with an EU passport can work anywhere within the EU countries. Does that count if I get a UK passport and want to live in Ireland?

Answer 1

If you have a British passport you can indeed work without a visa in Ireland, as well as most other EU countries (the more recent members haven't completely integrated their systems).

Answer 2

Me too.

My dad strongly suggested when I reached 18 to obtain and keep renewing my Britsh passport. Also, it's a heck of a lot easier to get through European customs with that passport.

As a child of a British-born citizen (not subject, citizen) you are a British citizen too, with the same rights as someone born there - except your children won't be British unless they are born there.

(Be careful. Funny rules apply depending on how old you are. IIRC, sometime in the 80' they change the rule; if you were born before that it was that your father had to be a British citizen, and your parents married. Look it up on Wikipedia - it's confusing)

As a member of the EU, your British citizenship confers the right to live and work anywhere in the EU.: I find this on the web:

Residence:

All EU citizens have the right to reside in another Member State, provided they can show that they either intend to work, or can support themselves and have sickness insurance.

Which leads to this info:

European citizens can, mutatis mutandis, move between Member States on similar terms as nationals of a Member State moving around or changing their place of residence inside their own country.

European citizens have the right to enter, reside and remain in the territory of any other Member State for a period of up to three months simply by presenting a valid passport or national identity card: no other formality is required. If they intend to remain for a period exceeding three months, a residence permit must be obtained. The conditions for granting a residence permit depend on the status of the citizen (employed or self-employed person, student, retired or inactive person).

Any EU citizen can take up an economic activity in another Member State either as an employed or self-employed person. In this case, he/she will be issued a residence permit by simply presenting an identity document (passport or ID) and proof of employment or self-employment.

If a citizen wants to reside in another Member State without exercising any activity or to study, he/she can do so provided he/she can prove (and in the case of students, declare) that he/she has sufficient financial resources not to become a burden for the host Member State's social assistance system and that he/she is covered by a sickness insurance policy. He/she must also prove that he/she has sufficient financial resources and sickness insurance for each member of his/her family who is entitled to reside with him/her.

Family members, irrespective of their nationality, have the right to accompany and establish themselves with a european citizen who is residing in the territory of another Member State. Family members who can enjoy rights under Community law include the spouse, minor (under 21) or dependent children, and dependent ascendants, though in the case of students only the spouse and dependent children enjoy this right. If the family members are not EU citizens, they may be required to hold an entry visa by the Member State where they intend accompany the EU citizen. They shall be granted this visa free of charge and with all facilities by that Member State.

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So you may want to move to Britain first and get registered as a member of thei National Health system. That's a whole separate question. Apparently you move to somewhere in Britain, declare your intention to live there, and apply with  a local doctor (?) for National Health coverage.

Also note from the info above that your non-British spouse can live with you, but doesn't automatically have the right to work as well.

Answer 3

You're certainly correct. The UK is indeed an EU country, and accordingly eligible to work indefinitely in Ireland.

I am not familiar with the details of your eligibility for a British passport. I would guess you would need to declare citizenship by a certain age (18?)

Good Luck!